Posted in: Xbox 360, Xbox360 Games, Xbox360 Reviews

Recently I was playing a game on the Xbox 360 when my friend asked me, “Is this is the Platinum Hits version or the Original version?” I told them it was the original version, which got me the “Oh, that’s the worst” response. It got me thinking, what’s the difference between the two versions? I decided to try playing both versions of a game and see what the differences were. I picked the Platinum Hits version of Mass Effect and the original release version of Mass Effect.

Now there are obvious differences between Platinum Hits and the original release versions with every game. Most games have bug fixes, extra DLC, and little extras to go along with it. In this case, Mass Effect Platinum Hits came with extra DLC (Bring Down the Sky and Pinnacle Station) as well as giving you a bonus DVD of special features. The original release version didn’t have these things. I decided to put them to the test to see the differences between gameplay, graphics, sound and overall game experience. Here’s what I got, starting with graphics.

Mass Effect- Original Release (Photo Taken Above)

Mass Effect- Platinum Hits (The Photo Above)

Graphics: Slight Edge to Platinum Hits

Notice the difference between the two images? Neither could I because they both look exactly the same. Yet I took a photo of each version, to try to see the difference. When playing both versions of Mass Effect, they both performed the same with graphics. The slightest edge had to go to the Platinum Hits version, it was able to polish up the graphics to character faces and the environment around you. To be totally honest though, you REALLY had to go looking to notice these changes. Both versions played about the same, so neither game is given a clear win in this category.

Sound: SAME

When playing both versions of Mass Effect, there is NO difference in sound. No fixes, no updates, nothing got changed. All the guns made the same sound, the music remained the same, and the sound effects remained the same. Normally in a Platinum Hits version, this gives the developer the chance to make fixes to certain aspects of the game’s sound. Whether it’s adding a different sound effect for a different object, or fixing the sound quality, this is the opportunity to do it. Not Mass Effect, they fixed nothing in the sound quality.

Gameplay: Original Release

Yep, that’s right. The original release version did better than the Platinum Hits. Why? Believe it or not, the original release version had various bugs in the gameplay. There are glitches that work in your favor in the original release version, which was removed from the Platinum Hits version. These glitches help you out in Mass Effect, so removing them from the game really is a negative for Platinum Hits version. The win goes to the Original Release version.

Overall Experience: SAME

I couldn’t actually pick between the two versions which one was better. Both versions brought something that the other version didn’t have. Mass Effect Platinum Hits had the 2 extra DLC’s included in the game. These DLC’s are GREAT additions to game, it adds a few hours of gaming to your experience and these DLC’s cost you money if you don’t have the Platinum Hits version. It costs 480 MS points or about $6, not a ton of money but still. The original release version has certain bug fixes which help you out in the game, but it’s removed from the following versions. It might not seem like much but those bugs really help you out in big ways, like when your able to use a bug in the game to max out your Charm ability. It doesn’t seem like much but it allows you to skip the end battle with Saren, maxed out Charm allows you to make Saren shoot himself in the head instead.

Seriously, using the Charm option here SAVES you from A long, hard Battle

If you go to look for these items on eBay, people specifically say which version of the game they are selling. People seem to be looking for the Original Release version over the Platinum Hits. On average, people on eBay are paying about $18 for the original release version. GameStop is selling Brand New Platinum Hits version of the same game for $23.99, clearly people don’t want the Platinum Hits version.

Now does this completely shut the door on which version is better? Well, no. I choose one game, Mass Effect, and played both versions. This post is MY OPINION, not the findings of an open poll. I’m sure there are people out there who disagree with me with this one game. I’ve found different games are better in the Platinum Hits version, instead of their original release version. This was just one sample of the differences between the two versions. I plan on testing this a little further with different games and seeing the differences between the two. Let me know your opinions in the comment section below.